Toy ferry system



June 28, 1949. w SHEPHEARD 2,474,376 I TOY FERRY SYSTEM Filed March 26, 1946 24 L; WHHHF Duunnuuunun Will/21h; L. Shephearo' a! MMWZ;

Patented June 28, 1949 UNITED ESTATES PATENT OFFICE 3- -:Claims.

This invention-relatestontoys and, more particularly, a toy ferry boat systemincluding a wheeled miniature ferry boat, a pairofdocks, and mechanism for shuttling the ferry boat between the docks.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a wheeled ferry boat capable of operation on a floor or other generally flat surface, a pair of docks functioning as termini, and a pulley system connecting the docks and boat so that both may be driven back and forth between the docks by one or more children as a single or joint venture. Additionally the ferry boat is intended to be provided with miniature vehicle carrying facilities. The docks are to be provided with ramps extending from floor level upwardly to the dock surface, and the boat and docks are to have complementary ends so that the vehicles may be passed directly from the docks to the boat and vice versa.

Another object is to provide, on each of the docks, a mechanism including a pulley, an easily accessible crank for rotating the spool, and a string windable on the spool and having one end attached to the ferry boat so that the boat may be pulled to either dock by turning the crank. It is another object to provide, on each of the docks, a housing simulating a toll house, the spool for each dock being mounted for rotation about a vertical axis within each house, and a crank shaft extending from the spool upwardly through the top of the house with the crank disposed exteriorly on the upper end of the shaft. Still again it is intended to provide guides for the string so that the string will run from the spool downwardly through the bottom of the dock and thence to the boat.

It is likewise intended to provide the boat and docks with miniature elements simulating those which characterize an actual ferry boat system. Additionally, it is proposed to form the ends of the docks and the ends of the ferry boat complementary with one another to facilitate packing in such manner that the entire system can be visualized in operation while the elements are packed.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification and drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the assembly; and,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partially in vertical section along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote similar elements, the ferry boat indicated at 2 is preferably formed of '2 sheet metal, and includes a main or vehicular deck 4, beneath' which on suitable bearings 5 are rotatably mounted wheels fiso that the boatgmay' berolledfore and aft. The boat is preferably provided with elements simulating those which characterize a large ferry boat, including-a superstructure 8, windows 9, smoke stack [0, and pilot house l2 at each end of the superstructure. Guard chains H! are preferably detachably connected as indicated at [5 across each end of the main deck so as to prevent dislodgement of miniature vehicles off the convexly curved ends of the boat.

Miniature docks l8 are provided, each dock being supported on piles 22 so that the dock surfaces, which are preferably formed of wood, are substantially at the level of main deck 4. Each dock is provided with suitable guard rails 24, a toll house 26, and a flat ramp 28 extending downwardly from the dock to the floor, each ramp being detachable by lifting the end, which is held on suitable rests on the edge of the dock.

The driving mechanism comprises a crank 3!! having its shaft 32 rotatably fitting through openings 34 and 35 respectively in the top of each toll house 26 and dock I8, each shaft 32 having rigidly fixed thereon a spool 36 which constitutes a reel for string. A guide 38 is provided between the spool and an inclined channel 40 extends through dock Hi to provide free running of a string 42 which has one end attached to spool 36 and the other end attached as indicated in 44 to the under side of ferry boat 2.

It will be apparent that when the system is 1, set up with docks l8 spaced from one another and with ferry boat 2 therebetween, the boat may be pulled towards either dock by rotation of the appropriate crank 30. If the boat is pulled towards one dock, string 42 is unreeled from the spool on the other dock, this latter spool being then left to run free. When the system is packed or otherwise stored, the docks are nested respectively with the ends of the ferry boat, and preferably the string is wound on both spools.

The invention detailed above is not limited to the specific disclosure but is intended to cover modifications and substitutions within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A toy ferry boat and dock system, comprising a wheeled toy boat simulating a ferry boat and having an end simulating a vehicle loading arrangement, a toy dock having an end simulating a vehicle loading arrangement for cooperation with the end of the ferry boat, a housing on the dock simulating a toll house, a shaft in said housing mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a portion extending exteriorly through the roof of said housing, a reel in said housing carried by said shaft, string guide means extending through said dock to the under side thereof, and a string or the like pulling element attached to said ferry boat and running to the under side of said dock, through said guide means and to said reel, whereby to pull said ferry boat to said dock upon rotation of said crank.

2. A toy ferry boat and dock system, comprising a toy boat simulating a ferry boat, said boat having wheels thereon for running on a surface and a deck terminating in similar convexly rounded ends simulating vehicle loading arrangements, and a pair of toy docks, each comprising posts simulating piling and platforms supported by the piling at the level of said deck, said docks having ramps adapted to be inclined up- L REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 76,943 Quincy et a1 Apr. 21, 1868 768,765 Maclean Aug. 30, 1904 1,003,353 Gibas Sept. 12, 1911 1,602,789 Thompson Oct. 12, 1926 2,071,168 Kersting Feb. 16, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,942 France Aug. 19, 1833 

